Sonic the Hedgehog 2 iPhone Review

Skill-based gaming meets virtual controls.

As somebody very fond of the 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog games -- I have specific memories attached to each one in the original trilogy -- I am truly sad to see a port of the game that denies gamers what made it so good. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the iPhone is simply an exercise in imperfect controls, which turns a lightning fast game that champions skill into one of frustration.

To be honest, though, SEGA is not completely to blame here. Even the biggest iPhone fanboy will admit that virtual controls do not offer the same precision as a real-deal d-pad or analog stick. They can get to 90-percent. But in a game like Sonic 2, that remaining 10-percent is critical. SEGA assembled brilliant stages with loads of secret areas and blistering special paths that are exceedingly difficult to see (let alone reach) with this lacking virtual d-pad, which is not nearly as good as other virtual pads in competing games.

Tails keeps up as best as he can.

And then there's the matter of SEGA's emulation. To be sure, Sonic 2 is much better than the original Sonic on iPhone, which suffered from terrible jitters. It's one thing to complain about framerate hits that are unattractive. But when they affect landing jumps or slamming into enemies? That's a real issue. On an older device, Sonic 2 still struggles and that's disappointing to see. Also disappointing: two-player mode has been stripped.

The Verdict

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a wonderful game&#Array; on other platforms. The iPhone edition suffers due to imprecise controls (partially out of SEGA&#Array;s hands) that make it difficult to truly appreciate what an achievement Sonic 2 was on the Genesis. This port may look good in screens, but performance-wise, it is lacking and not worth your $5.99.